Former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich was transferred to a tougher penal colony

The court hearing was only attended by his lawyer and his wife Maryna Adamovich.

After investigating Statkevich's case at the penal colony, the court located in the eastern city of Shklou transferred to a high-security facility up until the end of his term of sentence.

The alleged reason for the trial are numerous violations of the internal regulations of the penal colony No. 17 in The Škloŭ by him and his refusal to obey the demands of the colony administration, press service of HRC “Viasna” informs.

The court was closed – Belarusan journalists and human rights activists were not allowed to attend the hearing. Only Statkevich's wife, Maryna Adamovich, and his lawyer Aliaksandr Halieu were attending the hearing, RFE/RL informs.

As “EuroBelarus” Information Service earlier reported, Mikalai Statkevich, a former presidential candidate, is serving a six-year prison term for "organizing mass disturbances" following authoritarian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka's reelection in December 2010.

Statkevich pleaded not guilty to the original charge and has insisted that his imprisonment was politically motivated and refused to ask Lukashenka to pardon him.

Statkevich was transferred in January to the penal colony in Shklou after spending three years at a maximum-security prison in the city of Mahilieu. He had been sent to that facility after he was found to have violated regulations at the Shklou facility.